The tally includes $1,100 in higher energy prices, $540 in higher interest rates and $360 in military costs.

JPMorgan announced its first earnings miss in almost three years, while Goldman delivered its second-highest quarterly net revenue to date. A $1.2 billion regulatory penalty weighed on Bank of America's already lackluster report.

The Nvidia CEO says AI agents can be contained and that the technology is “completely in our control,” as he tours Europe pitching open-source models.

McDonald’s is trying to bring customers back as high inflation and execution missteps weigh on traffic. Visits to its U.S. restaurants fell 4.5% in the first half of 2026, while comparable sales rose 0.8%, far behind Burger King’s 8.5% gain. Beef prices rose 5.9% year over year, adding pressure on margins, and the stock is down 32% from its February peak.

Data from JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Kpler show Persian Gulf crude exports have returned to prewar levels, with September flows averaging 16.5 million to 19 million barrels per day. About 40% of crude is now shipped via pipeline routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz, up from 17% before the war. Of the crude that still crossed Hormuz in August, more than 70% switched tankers offshore. Markets are also watching whether Iran could resort to more extreme action.

The cost of insuring against a French sovereign default has risen to the highest level among major EU countries and the U.K., while the 10-year yield climbed to 4.989%, its highest since 2002. The yield premium over comparable German bonds widened to 152 basis points, the largest since the eurozone debt crisis in 2011. Investors have also focused on weak growth, a budget deficit estimated at about 5.4% of GDP, and a debt-to-GDP ratio expected to rise to 122% next year from 119% this year. The government’s latest plan has not stopped the jump in yields as investors question its credibility, according to Macquarie Group strategist Thierry Wizman.

Robinhood is rolling out AI trading agents powered by OpenAI and Anthropic models to millions of users, allowing people to use natural-language prompts to carry out tasks ranging from basic trades to more complex automated strategies. The agents are already handling nearly 30 million transactions per day on the platform. Robinhood plans to offer the lower-end model for free until the end of the year, while charging standard token rates for the higher-tier OpenAI and Anthropic agents.

Microsoft has introduced a Copilot “super app” that consolidates AI chat, task tools and coding into a single interface for business users, alongside a new Autopilot feature that adds agent-like capabilities. Autopilot will begin with limited user testing, and a broader rollout will depend on how testers rate the tools. The coding tool is set to reach Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro subscribers via a test program later this year. In July, Microsoft said Microsoft 365 Copilot had surpassed 30 million paid seats, with net seats added doubling quarter over quarter.

Nvidia-backed “neocloud” company Nscale has filed for a New York listing and is seeking a valuation of up to $35 billion. Its prospectus shows a net loss of $1.02 billion in the six months to June 30, 2026, and management at one point flagged “substantial doubt” about its ability to continue as a going concern. Nscale signed a $3.1 billion subscription agreement on September 15, with Nvidia investing $1 billion via convertible notes or nonvoting shares. The company says it has $103 billion in contracts, though most are not yet firm.